Civilians
by ApocalypticFyre
Summary: Summary: A University Student and an ex- Alliance soldier, struggle to survive on Earth after the Reapers attack, the whole planet has been ravaged by these superior forces and with each dawn a new problem arises. AU with OC. Follows with ME3 timeline.


Hi. This is a AU story, although the happenings of ME3 are still happening, this story is just based on a civilian point of view, who doesn't know Commander Shepard. Also I've never been to America or Canada so I don't know a lot about either of these countries, if you have anything you want to share with me about Canada or North America then please do! Thanks, and please leave a review it would mean so much to me!

Mass Effect is owned by Bioware, I own nothing apart from my own characters.

Summary: A University Student and an ex- Alliance soldier, struggle to survive on Earth after the Reapers attack, the whole planet has been ravaged by these superior forces and with each dawn a new problem arises.

XXX

The pile up of cars instantly put her in a bad mood as she sat and waited, drumming her fingers on her car's interface. She could see the small car park she was heading towards and the diner that she worked at, if only the idiot in front had gone at least a little faster they wouldn't have gotten caught at the traffic lights. She was already late for work as it. She sighed before slumping down further into the driver's seat and keeping her eyes peeled on the lights.

Katherine Peters was a student at the University of British Columbia, currently in her 3rd year studying Computer Technology and Engineering, not having had enough money or brains to get into Grissom Academy she had applied to several in different parts of the world before getting accepted at this one. Her parents were of French- Canadian descent but she had been born in France and had lived in France before moving to Vancouver in order to further her education. When the traffic and idiot finally started to move she put aside the thought of the French countryside and returned to present day.

She pulled in to the car park, parking her hover car in an empty space before grabbing her rucksack from the back seat, getting out and then locking it. The automatic system gave off a shrill beep before quieting, and she stuffed her keys in the front of her rucksack. She rounded the corner and went back onto the busy street; it bustled with people hurrying too and from work. Business men and taxi drivers milled around on corners as they waited for public transport or people who needed public transport.

When she reached the diner/restaurant she worked in she pushed open the door and made her way inside. It was quite large; the floor was covered in reddish orange tiles. The walls were plain white with a couple of pictures showing the evolution and history of the Alliance. An Alliance symbol also adorned the glass to the right of the door she had just come through.

"Mr B? Sorry I'm so late I got caught up in traffic, this moron in front of me didn't realise that his car could actually go 5o instead of 20."

Her boss walked into the room, holding a towel and a plate, his black hair was peppered with streaks of grey and his face was open and friendly.

"Not to worry Katherine, this place is dead as it is." He gestured to the tables she was standing near. "Perhaps we'll get a couple wanting coffee but I think that will be about it," He paused looking up and studying her face, "You all right Katherine?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine Mr Bhatia, let me just get my apron."

She moved to get behind the counter, lifting up the flap before setting it gently down. She went into the kitchens, they were clean and orderly. A picture of Mr Bhatia's wife hung above the stove. She dumped her bag below the line of pegs that held the aprons. She slipped her apron over her head as the bell above the door jingled. Mr Bhatia was fond of more retro things, things dating a hundred years or so back and most of the things in the restaurant didn't rely on computers or modern day tech. She didn't mind it that much; she basically spent most of her days with technology. It was nice not to be surrounded by computers all the time.

"Good morning, what can I get you?"

"Your finest coffee. Black no sugar, extra strong. I've got a killer headache that I really want gone."

Tying her apron around her waist she went back to the counter to see who the customer was. He must've been a few years older then her, mid to late twenties, his head was bent looking down at the wooden counter. He had straggly blonde hair that didn't look like it had been washed for days. To be honest he looked a mess, a completely drunk mess.

"Katherine have you seen the news?"

Mr Bhatia looked at her and then to the T.V that was mounted on the wall, the whirring of the coffee machine a backdrop to his words, the man at the counter also looked up, stared at her for a second before looking back down at the counter.

"No I haven't I've been too busy, why? What's going on?"

"Commander Shepard's having his meeting with the Alliance officials today. About the Reapers."

"Too late," She turned her attentions back onto the man who had the hangover. "That bastard's always too late."

"Look sir I understand that you're having a rough morning but if you use anymore foul language I will be forced to remove you from my…"

"I'm not here to make trouble," He stood up and opened his arms slightly, "I just want my cup of Joe, and then I'll go." He pointed at the door.

"Oh so you want it to go? Let me just get a cup."

Mr Bhatia went past her and back into the Kitchen, grumbling about how awkward it was when customers wanted a coffee to go. The man sat back down and she eyed him warily.

"What you looking at Princess?"

His voice was harsh and rough, blonde stubble graced his cheeks and chin as he resumed his position at the counter.

"I… What do you mean that he's too late?"

"I mean exactly that Princess, Shepard can't save Earth now, for that we need a miracle. Haven't you heard about Kar'Shan?"

She hadn't really been focusing on the outside world, having been to busy finishing up her report on extended computer hard drives and how to make them function better without blowing the whole system up. It was much more interesting then writing an essay on the entire history of computers, but she had heard little bits of information about Kar'Shan around campus. The whole planet had been devoured by the Reapers that Commander Shepard had predicted three years earlier.

"The whole planet had been…"

"Killed? Massacred? Exactly Princess, good old Shepard is just too late. First the Batarians, then us, we're completely and utterly fucked."

She was suspicious of the man; first of all who was he and why was he so certain that they were all going to die?

"How do you know? He stopped Saren, he stopped the Collecters, he's a War Hero…"

"He's ruthless; don't believe what you see on the big screen Princess. You don't know what that asshole is like."

"And you do?"

The man stood again and leant over the bar, "Lieutenant Jackson Parker, I was stationed on Torfan with the great Commander Shepard," He remained standing up, staring at her. "I think that proves that I know what he's like."

The man sat back down as he reached inside his pocket and pulled from it a couple of pills, in a swift motion he had put them in his mouth and began to swallow them dry.

"Don't you want some water?"

She stepped towards the taps, about to fill up a glass.

"Don't bother, goes down easier then most of what I drink on a daily basis."

Mr Bhatia re-entered the room, proudly brandishing a to-go cup. He went over to the coffee blender and filled it up with the hot black coffee before placing it on the counter in front of the man.

"What do I owe you?"

"2 credits, Katherine?"

She moved to take Jackson's money.

"I'll be back in a second, the man making the deliveries today just showed up." Mr Bhatia once again disappeared into the Kitchen.

"Thanks for the coffee."

She nodded, "Enjoy your day."

"Yeah, yeah Princess."

She put the credits into the till, closing it with a snap and watched the man head towards the door. He opened it and took one step outside before looking up at the sky; his coffee fell to the floor as he span on his heels and ran back into the diner.

"What…?"

"Get down!"

She stood rooted to the spot as Jackson jumped over the counter, he yanked her arm down and she fell to the floor, he crouched beside her, his arms pinning her in place. She was just about to push him away and stand up when she heard a lot of screaming and then a loud explosion. The whole place shook, filling the air with dust, the hands around her arms tightened. There was another explosion, one much closer this time and several chairs and tables fell over.

The third explosion however was the worst.

The whole diner just fell apart, as if some giant just grabbed it and ripped it open. Large chunks of plastic and metal dropped from the ceiling as the man who she had only just met covered more of her body with his own. The place quaked violently as the ceiling began to collapse down on them, she peeked up over an arm that wasn't her own at the doorway to the Kitchen. A pile of rubble blocked her view; she had no idea where Mr Bhatia had gone. As soon as it had started it was gone but the explosion had left horrifying damage, Jackson grunted. And it was several seconds until he relaxed his hold on her and began to stand up. She followed suit, he gripped her arm and hoisted her up.

"Are you alright Princess?"

"I'm fine," She brushed off her jeans, ridding them of dust, she looked up at him, ready to thank the man who had saved her but the thin line of blood that trickled from a cut above his right eye caught her attention. "You're hurt!"

"It's just a scratch; trust me I've had worse. Now we need guns…"

Her heart leapt to her throat as she gazed across the diner and to the road beyond, people were screaming and running as they were chased and gunned down by huge monstrous things. Cars were abandoned in the road and some had even been blown to smithereens. Fires were burning and all the shops along this stretch had been bombed, including where they were now.

"Oh my God." She moved to the broken window, only to see a mother carrying a baby get gunned down by one of the creatures. Her heart pounded in her ears as the monster turned its ugly head to face her when she was pulled backwards.

"Do you want us to get killed?" His face was close to hers, hissing with anger.

"I…"

"Yeah you're sorry. Why don't you say that when we're both lying in a pool of our own blood? Come on, where's the nearest gun shop?"

Her mind drifted to possible shops that sold ammo and weapons, there were none on these road she was sure but there was an Elkoss Combine a couple of streets away. She shared this with Jackson.

"There's an Elkoss Combine a few streets away, I know they stock weapons but how we're going to get to it is beyond me."

"Which direction?"

"West."

He bent down, picking up a long piece of metal. When he straightened up he held the mangled metal in his hands like a weapon.

"Pick up a frying pan Princess, you're going to need it."


End file.
